Billy Sharp

[alpine_saint]

Am I the only one who would seriously gladly let Rodriguez go and bring back Billy?

 

Almost certainly.

 

However I dont see why we cant keep both. Bily was never given a proper chance at this level.

[pingwing]

Billy was never given a proper chance at this level.

 

Because everyone could see the champ was his limit last season... Stick him in a time which could pile forwards 30/40 time as a game and leave him to be knocking about in the box a fair bit and he's going to look decent. Put him in a game where we only get 15/20 chances going forward we need players who can do more than just tap it it, something Rodriguez can do just because he has the stamina and general work rate to track back and win the ball with the rest of the team.

[Saint Charlie]

Sharp isnt even close to Rodriguez.

[Bucks Saint]

Am I the only one who would seriously gladly let Rodriguez go and bring back Billy?

 

No there would be at least 15 of you. All of Billy's family and his agent would agree

[Dan Johnson]

I hope Billy gets a good move, i think we've treated him pretty poorly to be honest.

 

He moved down here after an absolute tragedy, in search of a fresh start & career progression & we've given him neither.

 

I cant understand how after 6 months he's deemed surprless to requirements and shipped out on loan without even an explanation as to why.

 

IMHO, i dont think he'd be cut out for the premier league, but to not even be given the oppertunity to have a crack at it is unfair, he was obviously told when recruited he'd have a part to play in the Premier League otherwise he wouldnt have relocated his family at what was a very trying time for them.

 

Yes, i think it's probably the right footballing decission, but the manor in which we've gone about that decission is poor. I'd have sooner seen him play in the reserves and given the oppertunuity to fight his way into the side last season, than forced out on loan.

[alpine_saint]

I hope Billy gets a good move, i think we've treated him pretty poorly to be honest.

 

He moved down here after an absolute tragedy, in search of a fresh start & career progression & we've given him neither.

 

I cant understand how after 6 months he's deemed surprless to requirements and shipped out on loan without even an explanation as to why.

 

IMHO, i dont think he'd be cut out for the premier league, but to not even be given the oppertunity to have a crack at it is unfair, he was obviously told when recruited he'd have a part to play in the Premier League otherwise he wouldnt have relocated his family at what was a very trying time for them.

 

Yes, i think it's probably the right footballing decission, but the manor in which we've gone about that decission is poor. I'd have sooner seen him play in the reserves and given the oppertunuity to fight his way into the side last season, than forced out on loan.

 

Great post.

[Batman]

Football is a harsh world

[Bucks Saint]

Football is a harsh world

 

In return for which there are very great rewards for those at, or near, the top levels, and a very pleasant lifestyle too, compared to the rest of us

[Saint_Tony]

It is very harsh indeed, if I recall correctly he came of the bench in the opener against City? Should have at least been given a chance but that's the way football is these days, the club is evolving at rapid pace, even Jonno quick can't keep up

[warsash saint]

Am I the only one who would seriously gladly let Rodriguez go and bring back Billy?

 

Bizarre !

[Webby]

Look, when we signed him there was no guarantee that we'd get promoted. We might have spent a few seasons in the championship, in which Billy may have served us well.

 

Obviously the club felt that he didn't fit for some reason when we did get promoted. Harsh, yes. Fair, maybe. If he'd been scoring a hatful for forest then I'm sure we'd be having him back.

[Turkish]

Sharp isn't a premier league player, however he could have done a job for us this season a sub coming on when we are chasing the game. He's a great poacher and might well have nicked us a couple of goals. The fact of the matter is that Sharp couldn't posibly have had any less of an impact than Mayuka has this season, the man who replaced him in the squad.

[St Chalet]

Sharp isn't a premier league player, however he could have done a job for us this season a sub coming on when we are chasing the game. He's a great poacher and might well have nicked us a couple of goals. The fact of the matter is that Sharp couldn't posibly have had any less of an impact than Mayuka has this season, the man who replaced him in the squad.

 

Spot on.

[sfc4prem]

It is very harsh indeed, if I recall correctly he came of the bench in the opener against City? Should have at least been given a chance but that's the way football is these days, the club is evolving at rapid pace, even Jonno quick can't keep up

 

No. He didn't get the opener against City.

[itchen_dan]

Season-long loan to Donny potentially on the cards.

 

@paulgoodwinDFP: A bit more on Billy Sharp in paper tomorrow. No bid as yet but an enquiry about a season-long loan deal has been lodged. #DRFC

[itchen_dan]

neilperrettecho: Hate doing this so late but Billy Sharp to #afcb is a no-no, according to Daily Echo sources. #saintsfc

[Turkish]

Sharp could do so much better than Bournemouth and Doncaster. I hope he gets a decent championship side.

[The9]

The days when top tier teams could have players named 'Billy' have long gone, along with the Berts, Freds and Tommys. If he was Wayne Sharpe he'd be in the squad.

 

Billy Jones of West Brom begs to differ.

[The9]

Because everyone could see the champ was his limit last season... Stick him in a time which could pile forwards 30/40 time as a game and leave him to be knocking about in the box a fair bit and he's going to look decent. Put him in a game where we only get 15/20 chances going forward we need players who can do more than just tap it it, something Rodriguez can do just because he has the stamina and general work rate to track back and win the ball with the rest of the team.

 

Oh, that "everyone" again. Funny how there's never a consensus at the time though, isn't it ?

 

Last season his fitness was noticeably not a patch on when he was "Saints fit" and Forest were rotating people in and out almost randomly. They were also not as good a side as Saints were - this is about how Sharp might have done in a team that just finished in the top 2 of the Championship, not how he did in a team that weren't as good as that. Player does worse in worse team unshocker.

 

Come to think of it, our treatment of Forren had some similarities with that of Sharp, at least for the first couple of months.

[pingwing]

Oh, that "everyone" again. Funny how there's never a consensus at the time though, isn't it ?

 

Last season his fitness was noticeably not a patch on when he was "Saints fit" and Forest were rotating people in and out almost randomly. They were also not as good a side as Saints were - this is about how Sharp might have done in a team that just finished in the top 2 of the Championship, not how he did in a team that weren't as good as that. Player does worse in worse team unshocker.

 

Come to think of it, our treatment of Forren had some similarities with that of Sharp, at least for the first couple of months.

 

This is chappers all over again, player has about 4 big performances and then suddenly a hero.

 

He's not that good, lots of people want him to be for one reason or another but in reality he isn't and will go to a team where they need a poacher like him for the way they play, unlike us.

 

Forren clearly was a panicky joke, leak goals clearly leads to buying more cb's then finding he's not fit and his reputation is over blown clearly leaves us looking silly.

[The9]

This is chappers all over again, player has about 4 big performances and then suddenly a hero.

 

He's not that good, lots of people want him to be for one reason or another but in reality he isn't and will go to a team where they need a poacher like him for the way they play, unlike us.

 

Forren clearly was a panicky joke, leak goals clearly leads to buying more cb's then finding he's not fit and his reputation is over blown clearly leaves us looking silly.

 

I think he could have scored a few goals for us last season in the Prem. Worse players have. Other than that, the one thing last season showed was that players who did well for us in 2011/12 in a good team didn't do as well in 2012/13 when distributed amongst inferior teams.

 

Sharp was perfectly suited to our game in 2011/12 but we changed that pretty significantly over the course of last season and the manager doesn't have any loyalty to any of the players who weren't around last season.

 

Forren wasn't "clearly" anything until we sold him.

[Professor]

Quote Originally Posted by Saint_Tony:

It is very harsh indeed, if I recall correctly he came of the bench in the opener against City? Should have at least been given a chance but that's the way football is these days, the club is evolving at rapid pace, even Jonno quick can't keep up

 

No. He didn't get the opener against City.

 

Tony is correct sfc4Prem. He didn't say Billy 'got the opener' but that in the opening match against Man C, that Billy came on from the bench - which he did, 5 mins from the end. Why Adkins then made no more use of him after he'd scored 9 goals in the promotion run remains a mystery.

[Saint Charlie]

Why Adkins then made no more use of him after he'd scored 9 goals in the promotion run remains a mystery.

 

Not a mystery to me...he isn't good enough for this league. Hence the likes of Doncaster's interest.

[Glasgow_Saint]

If players like Leon Best, Carlton Cole, Adam Le Fondre, Stephane Guivarc'h, Danny Graham, Marc Boogers, Bosko Balaban, Ali Dia and Ade Akinbiyi were given a shot in the premiership then surely Billy Sharp deserved a few games to see what he could do.

 

All those saying "he isnt good enough for the prem" are guessing, i personally think he'd do just fine.

[dingbattigger]

If players like Leon Best, Carlton Cole, Adam Le Fondre, Stephane Guivarc'h, Danny Graham, Marc Boogers, Bosko Balaban, Ali Dia and Ade Akinbiyi were given a shot in the premiership then surely Billy Sharp deserved a few games to see what he could do.

 

All those saying "he isnt good enough for the prem" are guessing, i personally think he'd do just fine.

 

 

Spot on

[alpine_saint]

If players like Leon Best, Carlton Cole, Adam Le Fondre, Stephane Guivarc'h, Danny Graham, Marc Boogers, Bosko Balaban, Ali Dia and Ade Akinbiyi were given a shot in the premiership then surely Billy Sharp deserved a few games to see what he could do.

 

All those saying "he isnt good enough for the prem" are guessing, i personally think he'd do just fine.

 

Yep.

[Professor]

Not a mystery to me...he isn't good enough for this league. Hence the likes of Doncaster's interest.

In that case Charlie, why did Adkins have him on the bench and bring him on against Man City for the first Prem match of the 2012/13 season on Aug 2012? He was on the bench again the following week against Wigan but didn't come on until 76th min when Saints were already 1-0 down. His last game was against Stevenage in the League Cup when he scored one of Saints' 4 goals and was then subbed 5 mins from the end to give Sam Hoskins a run out. And that was it. On 1 Sept he was sent on loan to Notts Forest. How anyone could assess his Prem ability on that is a mystery.

[Saint Charlie]

If players like Leon Best, Carlton Cole, Adam Le Fondre, Stephane Guivarc'h, Danny Graham, Marc Boogers, Bosko Balaban, Ali Dia and Ade Akinbiyi were given a shot in the premiership then surely Billy Sharp deserved a few games to see what he could do.

 

All those saying "he isnt good enough for the prem" are guessing, i personally think he'd do just fine.

 

But none of those would get in our team either so hardly a worthy comparison?

 

No point giving him games when you know he isnt a good enough allround player to succeed.

[Saint Charlie]

In that case Charlie, why did Adkins have him on the bench and bring him on against Man City for the first Prem match of the 2012/13 season on Aug 2012? He was on the bench again the following week against Wigan but didn't come on until 76th min when Saints were already 1-0 down. His last game was against Stevenage in the League Cup when he scored one of Saints' 4 goals and was then subbed 5 mins from the end to give Sam Hoskins a run out. And that was it. On 1 Sept he was sent on loan to Notts Forest. How anyone could assess his Prem ability on that is a mystery.

 

He had him on the bench vs City because Mayuka and Ramirez hadnt been signed yet and you can have 7 subs.

 

He was behind Guly in the pecking order by then in NA's eyes.

 

Hammond was loaned out too but nobody questions that because it was also the right choice. Players have levels that suit their game and Sharp's is the Championship.

 

He can score goals for sure, but isnt an allround player. Another of those is Le Fondre and we wouldnt be bothered about signing him, and he will play in the Championship next year.

 

I really don't understand the fuss on us getting rid of Sharp, especially given that he isnt even being courtes by the better Championship teams and didnt have a great season last year! Plus was kept out our side by Tadanari Lee until he got injured!

[Saint86]

I hope Billy gets a good move, i think we've treated him pretty poorly to be honest.

 

He moved down here after an absolute tragedy, in search of a fresh start & career progression & we've given him neither.

 

I cant understand how after 6 months he's deemed surprless to requirements and shipped out on loan without even an explanation as to why.

 

IMHO, i dont think he'd be cut out for the premier league, but to not even be given the oppertunity to have a crack at it is unfair, he was obviously told when recruited he'd have a part to play in the Premier League otherwise he wouldnt have relocated his family at what was a very trying time for them.

 

Yes, i think it's probably the right footballing decission, but the manor in which we've gone about that decission is poor. I'd have sooner seen him play in the reserves and given the oppertunuity to fight his way into the side last season, than forced out on loan.

 

He requested to go back up there to be nearer to home and family? We acquiesced to that request and now are fans are slamming us for treating him poorly? Seems a bit harsh on us tbh...

[Lallana's Left Peg]

If Sharp was good enough for the Premier League and was available for just £1m, don't you think there would be at least 5-6 clubs in the Premier League after him? It appears there isn't so doesn't that sort of blow the 'Sharp is good enough and until he gets a chance you can't say otherwise' brigade out of the water?

 

At the end of the day it would have been nice for all of the promotion team to get a fair crack at the Premier League but that is all it would have been - nice. There is no room for sentiment any more and the powers that be deemed Sharp wasn't worth keeping around when we were going to play a formation with one up front and four strikers ahead of him in the pecking order.

[pingwing]

If players like Leon Best, Carlton Cole, Adam Le Fondre, Stephane Guivarc'h, Danny Graham, Marc Boogers, Bosko Balaban, Ali Dia and Ade Akinbiyi were given a shot in the premiership then surely Billy Sharp deserved a few games to see what he could do.

 

All those saying "he isnt good enough for the prem" are guessing, i personally think he'd do just fine.

 

Sums up the shear desperation of some teams in the premier league really.

[Glasgow_Saint]

But none of those would get in our team either so hardly a worthy comparison?

 

No point giving him games when you know he isnt a good enough allround player to succeed.

 

Take a look at the below thread - we have 4-5 posters claiming Sharp was a "good signing" so in their view, he was good in the championship (nobody is disputing that) he therefore deserves a 'chance' in the prem.

 

Some said Lambert wouldnt do well in the championship, they said the same about the prem - given a 'chance' he proved himself, like many who were written off before him.

 

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?45794-The-Southampton-Transfer-Committee

[Saint Charlie]

Take a look at the below thread - we have 4-5 posters claiming Sharp was a "good signing" so in their view, he was good in the championship (nobody is disputing that) he therefore deserves a 'chance' in the prem.

Some said Lambert wouldnt do well in the championship, they said the same about the prem - given a 'chance' he proved himself, like many who were written off before him.

 

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?45794-The-Southampton-Transfer-Committee

 

If you are good in the Championship then you automatically deserve a chance in the Prem?

 

[Saint_clark]

If players like Leon Best, Carlton Cole, Adam Le Fondre, Stephane Guivarc'h, Danny Graham, Marc Boogers, Bosko Balaban, Ali Dia and Ade Akinbiyi were given a shot in the premiership then surely Billy Sharp deserved a few games to see what he could do.

 

All those saying "he isnt good enough for the prem" are guessing, i personally think he'd do just fine.

 

But the clubs who gave those players a change had no better options - we do.

[Saint Garrett]

One of my mates who is a Boro fan, reckons he's on his way there...

[Window Cleaner]

One of my mates who is a Boro fan, reckons he's on his way there...

 

wasn't he supposed to be going to err Ipswich

[Window Cleaner]

Trouble with Sharp is that we seem desperate to be shot of him and every other club knows it. Probably end up on loan at Pompey with us giving them money to boot.

[Saint Garrett]

Another player difficult to get rid of, as noone is willing to pay prem money for him and I can't see Cortese agreeing to subsidise his wages.

[Glasgow_Saint]

Another player difficult to get rid of

 

Probably because he's on a hefty wage due to coming here and getting us promoted. He's a good bloke. Deserves to be playing football.

 

imho

[ART]

Thoroughly agree Glasgow-Saint he does deserve a chance. What gets me is he's the one outsider at the club who Pochettino hasn't even given a trial with the first team squad. We need goals yet the man who scored the most last pre season is cast aside. Playing with inferior players in the Championship is no way to judge if a player can succeed in the Premiership.

[teacher]

I'm not saying Sharp is our answer up top, but I do agree deserve a chance. The problem is that he is not fit or mobile enough at the moment. I do believe that if he was given a proper pre season training program he would be an asset to the team.

[Saint Garrett]

Thoroughly agree Glasgow-Saint he does deserve a chance. What gets me is he's the one outsider at the club who Pochettino hasn't even given a trial with the first team squad. We need goals yet the man who scored the most last pre season is cast aside. Playing with inferior players in the Championship is no way to judge if a player can succeed in the Premiership.

 

He was struggling to get in the Forest team last season, definitely not the answer. Doesn't offer enough outside the box for me, especially when we play one up top.

[egg]

Probably because he's on a hefty wage due to coming here and getting us promoted. He's a good bloke. Deserves to be playing football.

 

imho

 

I agree he deserves to be playing football, but not with us. He's a decent championship player but anyone who's seen him play must realise he's not a top flight player.

 

I just don't get the calls to give this bloke a chance. Hammond was instrumental in getting us to the top flight but people have acknowledged that he's not good enough. He had a solid season in the Championship last year and most agree that's his level. Sharp struggled in the Championship last year and people now say he's up to the Prem.

 

What am I missing?

[Chez]

Probably because he's on a hefty wage due to coming here and getting us promoted. He's a good bloke. Deserves to be playing football.

 

imho

 

if he wants to play football there won't be anything stopping him from doing so other than his wage demands.

[Glasgow_Saint]

I agree he deserves to be playing football, but not with us. He's a decent championship player but anyone who's seen him play must realise he's not a top flight player.

 

I just don't get the calls to give this bloke a chance. Hammond was instrumental in getting us to the top flight but people have acknowledged that he's not good enough. He had a solid season in the Championship last year and most agree that's his level. Sharp struggled in the Championship last year and people now say he's up to the Prem.

 

What am I missing?

 

If youre performing at the top level youre at you deserve a chance at the next level up. You maybe found wanting, but you deserve a chance imo.

 

Just like any work enviroment..... If youre one of the top performers at your current grade, you deserve a chance at a promotion.

[ART]

Saints outsiders have been training under Raidi whilst the squad was in Spain.

[Saint Garrett]

If youre performing at the top level youre at you deserve a chance at the next level up. You maybe found wanting, but you deserve a chance imo.

 

Just like any work enviroment..... If youre one of the top performers at your current grade, you deserve a chance at a promotion.

 

Just another reason why you clearly talk crap. No sense in that. Has to prove himself at the level he's at before he deserves a chance in the prem. he definitely didn't shine last season.

 

Even when he was with us in the prem he did ok, but hardly stood out like Rickie did he. He's a decent finisher if you get the ball to him in the box, but that's about it. He doesn't offer enough outside of the box and to the team in general. Yes he's a top bloke, but so was Butterfield, Hammond and Chaplow.

[scotty]

If youre performing at the top level youre at you deserve a chance at the next level up. You maybe found wanting, but you deserve a chance imo.

 

Just like any work enviroment..... If youre one of the top performers at your current grade, you deserve a chance at a promotion.

 

Professional football is not like an ordinary job though, is it. Your management team see you perform in training every day, for however many hours they train. We only see 90 minutes on a saturday. If the manager doesn't want to play him based on what he's seen, which is a hell of a lot more than we have, than that's that.

[Bucks Saint]

If youre performing at the top level youre at you deserve a chance at the next level up. You maybe found wanting, but you deserve a chance imo.

 

Just like any work enviroment..... If youre one of the top performers at your current grade, you deserve a chance at a promotion.

 

Yes of course in theory, unless those who are paid to be in management roles can determine you are not of the right calibre without trying you out. It happens in all promoted teams, various players at the previous level are discarded without much, or any, chance after promotion. The evidence from Forest says that in the case of Billy, the decision was right.